Forever Intertwined
by lana-ismyqueen
Summary: Collection of Regina Mills/Rumplestiltskin one-shots from my prompts blog (lana-ismyqueen on Tumblr). Each chapter is a different prompt exploring their relationship.


**After everything they've been through, their lives will always be intertwined.**

**Set after 2x20 and before 2x21. My personal wishes for how Regina's rescue in 2x21 will go :)**

* * *

"You ever wonder, if this constant pursuit for revenge is the reason we have no one who cares for us? I mean, when all this is over and I know the crocodile is dead for good and all, I'll have nothing to look forward to. My life will be empty."

As Regina lay strapped to a board, these words ran through her head on a loop. She gasped for air, hardly able to see through the pain that was coursing through her body. She registered briefly that the torture had stopped for a brief moment, but she knew that before too long, it would begin again, just as bad. Not –so-little Owen/Greg was firing questions at her, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. She could sense that her silence angered him, though, because just as quickly as it had stopped, the torture began again, sending her entire body into uncontrollable convulsions.

And just like that, she hit the point where she stopped feeling the pain. Suddenly she felt like she was watching the scene instead of experiencing it. She could see herself strapped to a board, shaking and screaming, looking like she was close to death. Greg and Tamara stood over her, sick and satisfied looks on their faces. Why were they doing this? What did they want from her? Hook was nowhere to be found. Regina registered that with an emotion close to indifference. He had been there when this all began. Now he was gone. Where had he gone?

Regina closed her eyes and willed the pain to stop. Even death would be a welcome relief. Death would end all of the pain, even the pain that would continue when this torture was over. The pain of loss. The pain of heartbreak. The pain of being completely and entirely alone in this world. That pain would always be with her, no matter how hard she tried to erase it.

Suddenly the shaking stopped, and exhaustion settled on Regina's thin frame. She opened her eyes slowly in surprise. Greg and Tamara were on the ground, and Rumplestiltskin and Hook were hovering over her. "Rumple-?" Her voice gave out, the pain evident in her words.

To her surprise, Hook's face crumpled, and he turned to Rumpletilskin. "Do something," he whispered.

Gold nodded, using magic to unstrap Regina from the board. "Grab her." He commanded, not even looking at Hook.

Regina briefly registered arms surrounding her when she lost consciousness.

.~.

"What is this around her wrist?"

"They used it to stop her magic."

"Is it permanent?"

Regina could hear voices around her, but she couldn't comprehend what they were saying. The panic in the more familiar voice registered with her, though, and she tried to place who it was.

"I don't know. Can you get it off her?"

Regina heard a snap, though she felt nothing. "There." The familiar voice said, a slightly satisfied tone. "I'll destroy this later."

"Will she be able to do magic again?"

There was no answer, but Regina was slowly able to feel her body again. As her senses were reawakened, so was the pain, and she gasped, inhaling sharply.

"She's waking up."

That was Rumple's voice.

It took a few more moments, but Regina was finally able to open her eyes. Her eyes immediately landed on Rumple, who was hovering over her, doing some kind of magic. Her immediate reaction was to jerk back, but that only caused the receding pain to flare up again. Slowly, she registered that he was trying to help her. Sighing, she yielded, closing her eyes again to try and summon enough energy to say something.

Hours later, Regina's eyes fluttered back open. Gold was sitting next to her. As she opened her eyes, he sat up straight, leaning towards her, an unreadable emotion on his face. In that moment, Regina knew that despite all of their differences, despite their enmity that had grown in Storybrooke, there was a deeper relationship between them. In that moment, Regina knew that Rumplestiltskin was the closest thing she had to family, and that she was that for him as well.

"Where's Hook?" She asked softly, struggling to sit up. Without speaking, he reached forward and wrapped an arm around her to support her.

"I sent him to return the cuff that stopped your magic to its owners."

"Why would you do that?" Regina voice wasn't nearly as sharp as she wanted it to be.

"Because the moment they touch it, it will stop them from possessing magic. That must be what they are after."

"How do you know?" She knew that he was right. He always was. She just wondered how he was so sure.

"Because they were trying to strip you of your magic. They wanted to harness it." He positioned himself so that he was behind her, supporting her with his whole body. "I couldn't let them do that." His voice was soft then, full of an emotion that she had never heard him use about her before.

"Why?" She whispered, internally fighting against the urge to give in and depend on him. After everything that she had done on her own, she didn't need him. She didn't trust him. Or, at least, she didn't want to.

"Because you're my family. And I always protect my family."

"I'm your grandson's adoptive mother. I hardly qualify that as family."

"You know damn well that Henry has nothing to do with it, Regina. You were my family long before Henry ever came into the picture." The next part was whispered so softly that she could barely hear it. "You were supposed to be my daughter."

Regina understood what he was saying. She had put the pieces together long ago. It was all there, in Cora's magic book. Her mother had been the only person to ever trick Rumplestiltskin out of a deal. "Yes, I was." She said softly, meeting his gaze.

He nodded, understanding that she understood. They had always communicated like this. Very few words, but very meaningful looks. "Your mother tried so hard to keep you from me. She wanted you to be a Queen. I wanted you to be my child. It seems that as always, Cora and I both got what we wanted."

And just like that, Regina gave in. She leaned against him, all energy draining from her. She felt Rumplestiltskin's arms encircle her, and she didn't try to fight it. For once in her life, she didn't fight against him, because that would be fighting against herself. She knew that when she recovered, she would have to face the world. She would have to face her problems, the problems that were endless. But for the first time since she had lost Daniel and then her mother, she knew she wouldn't have to face them alone. She had someone on her side. Someone who loved her.

And just like that, they were once again back where they belonged.


End file.
